Police puts temporary halt to Makhado “Carnival”

Date: 26 July 2018 By: Andries van Zyl

The Makhado SAPS has put a temporary halt to the Makhado Carnival Show going ahead.

This was in response to today’s front page article in the Zoutpansberger under the headline: Show a no show but a carnival. It now looks like even the “carnival” is going to be a “no show”.

The article deals with the Makhado Municipality’s notice earlier this week that they will not be hosting the Makhado Annual Show this year. Traditionally, the show takes place during the last week of July. In the same notice, the municipality distanced itself “from a person who is using its name ‘Makhado Annual Show’ to mobilize the community to the show. The municipality has no relationship with the person who claims that he or she will be hosting [the] Makhado Annual show during July 2018 and therefore we will not take responsibility to account for any act or omission occasioned by this fake annual show pretending to be held by the municipality. We apologise to the entire Makhado community for the inconveniences caused, although [it] is for better service delivery as the Mall seeks to create permanent employment for the people of Makhado.”

The newspaper contacted the organiser of the “show”, Mr Ngereza Netshifhefhe of African Cornerstone Network, to find out what the story is. In response, Netshifhefhe said that he decided to privately host a “carnival” from 26 to 28 July at the show grounds in Louis Trichardt as the municipality decided not to host a show. He said he never advertised his “carnival” as the annual show and added that he booked and paid for the venue at the Makhado Municipality. Netshifhefhe added that everything was in place, including all the necessary certificates and arrangements with the police, to safely host the carnival show.

It would seem that Mr Netshifhefhe was, however, not completely truthful about all the necessary paperwork being in place.

Shortly after the Zoutpansberger appeared on the street, Makhado police spokesperson Const Irene Radzilane phoned the newspaper and indicated that Netshifhefhe did not have all the necessary paperwork in place. “As at Thursday morning, 26 July, he has not complied with any specifications of the Sport and Recreational Events Act, Act 2 of 2010,” she said. This, she said, included not having a liability certificate or electrical certificate. “We told him he cannot open until he complies,” said Radzilane.

Shortly after Radzilane’s phone call, the newspaper visited the show grounds to find out if indeed the gates were closed. A security guard at the gate indicated that they are open, although there was little if any movement on the terrain. The main entrance to the show ground was a vast empty parking lot.

The newspaper got a hold of Netshifhefhe shortly after their conversation with the police. During a telephonic interview with him, Netshifhefhe indicated that indeed he did not have all the necessary certificates in place. “As we are speaking now, we are busy finalising it … maybe within the next 30 minutes it will be finalised,” said Netshifhefhe. The interview took place at 11:39. Regarding the police’s warning that they will not allow him to open, Netshifhefhe admitted that the gates were still closed. “But the show is going ahead,” said Netshifhefhe.

To find out more about the whole controversy, buy this week’s Zoutpansberger.

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Andries van Zyl

Andries joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in April 1993 as a darkroom assistant. Within a couple of months he moved over to the production side of the newspaper and eventually doubled as a reporter. In 1995 he left the newspaper group and travelled overseas for a couple of months. In 1996, Andries rejoined the Zoutpansberger as a reporter. In August 2002, he was appointed as News Editor of the Zoutpansberger, a position he holds until today.

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